Param Vir Chakra (PVC)Awardee: Capt Gurbachan Singh Salaria, PVC

On 5 December
1961, 3/1 Gorkha Rifles was ordered to clear up a roadblock established by the
gendarmerie at a strategic roundabout at Elizatbethville,
Katanga. The plan
was that one company with two Swedish armoured cars would attack the position
frontally and Captain Gurbachan Singh Salaria with two sections of Gorkhas and
two Swedish armoured personnel carriers would advance towards this roadblock
from the airfield to act as a cutting-off force.

Captain Salaria
with his small force arrived at a distance of 1500 yards from the roadblock at
approximately 1312 hours on 5 December and came under heavy automatic and small
arms fire from an undetected enemy position dug in on his right flank. The
enemy also had two armoured cars and about 90 men opposing Captain Salaria's
small force.

Captain Salaria
appreciating that he had run into a subsidiary roadblock and ambush and that
this enemy force might reinforce the strategic roundabout and thus jeopardise
the main operation decided to remove this opposition. He led a charge with
bayonets, khukris and grenades supported by a rocket launcher. In this gallant
engagement, Captain Salaria killed 40 of the enemy and knocked out the two
armoured cars. This unexpectedly bold action completely demoralized the enemy
who fled despite his numerical superiority and protected positions.

Captain Salaria
was wounded by a burst of automatic fire in his neck but continued to fight
till he collapsed owing to profuse bleeding. Captain Salaria's gallant action
had prevented any movement of the enemy force towards the main battalion's
action at the roundabout. It had also, prevented the encirclement of UN
Headquarters in Elizabethville. Captain Salaria subsequently died of his
wounds.

Captain Salaria's
personal example, utter disregard for personal safety, and dauntless leadership
inspired his small but gallant force of 26 Gorkhas to hold on to their
position, dominate the enemy and inflict heavy casualties despite the enemy's
superiority in numbers and tactical position. Captain Salaria's leadership,
courage, unflinching devotion to duty and disregard for personal safety were in
the best traditions of our Army.